Baselworld is only a few weeks away. Getting the latest news is easy, Click Here for info on how to join the Watchuseek.com newsletter list. Follow our team for updates featuring event coverage, new product unveilings, watch industry news & more!

If Google, Microsoft, and Apple can't succeed at getting the media companies on board, then it's probably never going to happen. The giants in Time-Warner, Comcast, Cox, Dish, DirecTV, etc. will continue to dominate.

Newsbrief: Microsoft's increased efforts to expand its entertainment offerings on the Xbox 360 console have attracted the eye of TV industry watchers, as the company was recently honored with a TV innovation award.

The company received the top honor in the On Demand category at the 2012 TV Innovation Awards in Las Vegas on Monday, beating out thirteen other recipients.

Microsoft this year partnered with over 40 TV and entertainment providers to provide on-demand video and music, and will soon roll out the first in a line of Kinect-enabled interactive television programs, starting with a partnership with long-running children's program Sesame Street.

I think article put it as on hold which seems to be a reasonable assessment at this point.

I still think its somewhat odd for them to try and compete with the cable services.... I think we will see what they are doing now. Eventually every single cable provider will have a streaming app on the xbox. Live TV like the fios app and then have the on demand system archive all shows for dvr functionality.

Besides they should be focusing on giving us that zune video (movies+tv shows) pass.... The OTA networks+espn3+zune video pass would equal no need for TV anymore.

have you guys sat down recently to try out Crackle? I did last night after my friend told me to try it. I originally tried it the day it came out but the selection was somehow worse than now.

and while it won't replace Netflix, it's a great companion! Lots of stuff that Netflix doesn't have and it's free! sure, it has ads but the ads aren't nearly as bad as cable TV.

I browsed and it had a ton of anime that I grew up with! The real anime version rather than the US localization. For example, it has Macross! Not Robotech, but the Japanese version (with English dubbing). While I loved Robotech because that's what I grew up with, when I saw the original Macross version, I liked that version in different ways as well.

I also saw Ah! My Goddess, Magic Knights Rayearth, etc.

And the movie and TV selection is not bad at all. Again, it won't replace Netflix but people should give it a try!

If Google, Microsoft, and Apple can't succeed at getting the media companies on board, then it's probably never going to happen. The giants in Time-Warner, Comcast, Cox, Dish, DirecTV, etc. will continue to dominate.

Someone will get it done. See: What iTunes did to the music industry.

They can fight it as long as they want but eventually they're going to have to cave if they want to survive.

They can fight it as long as they want but eventually they're going to have to cave if they want to survive.

I am not optimistic. Unfortunately the cable and telecom companies control the internet access of most people as well as the TV distribution. They are not about to lose all that ad revenue to Google, Apple or Microsoft. It's a shame really as any of these three would deliver a more exciting alternative. Ironically, Apple's success in music and Netflix in video has made it even harder to achieve real change.

I don't think any of these 3 companies is powerful enough to dislodge the video distributors.

I am not optimistic. Unfortunately the cable and telecom companies control the internet access of most people as well as the TV distribution. They are not about to lose all that ad revenue to Google, Apple or Microsoft. It's a shame really as any of these three would deliver a more exciting alternative. Ironically, Apple's success in music and Netflix in video has made it even harder to achieve real change.

I don't think any of these 3 companies is powerful enough to dislodge the video distributors.

Philip

Piracy and consumers defecting to other services seem to be getting their attention. Not much on conspiracy theory but I have more than a slight suspicion that the DOJ hijacking websites and megaupload's take down have something to do with lobbying efforts from these folks.

Reminiscent, in a way, of the music industry finally giving in. They were spending tons of money on everything but giving the consumer what they wanted, at first.

Apple has a little cash lying around at the moment and any effort they can make to bring people deeper into their ecosystem, they'll do it. Even at a loss.

The Verge's article says that you get 1 free game daily. Is that true? Do you get to pick the game?

All Gold subscribers get one free game a day on the app as well as game recaps, which is standard for MLB.TV, but their experience is otherwise limited without a subscription.

It is true for now at least. I'm not sure if that is something that will continue past Spring Training though. You don't get to pick which game is free, it's selelcted by MLB and I believe is the game that is picked up to air on MLB network. Today's free game is Rockies vs Dbacks, FWIW.

It is true for now at least. I'm not sure if that is something that will continue past Spring Training though. You don't get to pick which game is free, it's selelcted by MLB and I believe is the game that is picked up to air on MLB network. Today's free game is Rockies vs Dbacks, FWIW.

alright, thanks for the heads-up. the only time I watch baseball is to watch the Dodgers. and even at that, it's just whenever I happen to turn it on. but since there are so many baseball games, it's not a high priority.

okay, I have neither Comcast nor HBO, but if you can get the HBO content via the Comcast app, why the uproar over lack of HBO Go via a dedicated app?

You get a limited selection shows through the Comast app compared to the HBO Go app. I assume it like most On Demand selections where the last four or five episodes of the current season as opposed to having every episodes from every season.

HBO subscribers currently locked out of streaming HBO Go to their connected TV devices (namely Samsung HDTVs / Blu-ray players, Roku boxes and Xbox 360s) could be in for a treat soon, as our sources indicate Time Warner Cable is preparing to announce access for its customers on all three platforms tomorrow. There's also a few small pics of the updated menus for Xbox 360 and Roku flashing the TWC logo, as well as currently unsupported providers Bright House Networks (both), as well as DirecTV and Comcast (Roku). We've contacted both HBO and Time Warner Cable for comment but have not received a response yet, but we'll keep an eye out for an expanded activation menus hitting our devices soon.